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A few years ago I attended my niece’s graduation ceremony where I had the pleasure to watch Lou Holtz speak! I was completely enamored and absorbed by his words, not to mention his passion. He said two things in particular that I wrote down that day:

“Everybody needs four things in life: Something to do, someone to love, someone to believe in and something to hope for.”

“Be Significant! Not only in your life, but in many lives!”

Both of these statements struck a chord in my heart and made me think about my life and the work that I do just a little differently.

I work for an amazing company called With a Little Help which is a Home Care Company and my title is Director of Business Development, but my job is to educate and build relationships. Believe me when I say it is my SOMETHING TO DO!

I’m lucky to say that I have a great husband, a son and a daughter in law to love, who all think I am a little crazy, but I’m good with that because it’s true! My husband has 9 siblings and I was blessed with two moms, two dads, 10 siblings, so many cousins, nieces and nephews I can’t even count them, so needless to say there is never a shortage on SOMEONE TO LOVE! But I know not everyone has someone due to distance or loss and I think that is just one of the reasons I so love the village concept and this makes me feel so good about NEST and the good work they do connecting people together so everyone has SOMEONE TO BELIEVE IN.

A few years ago I was asked to be the Conference Chair for the Washington Home Care Association’s Statewide Conference Blooming with the Boomers. Something bloomed inside of me that year when I realized the power education had on Licensed Home Care Companies across the state of Washington to provide a higher standard of care to seniors and those in need. I got excited…….there it was…..BE SIGNIFICANT IN MANY LIVES! I also learned that putting on a conference is like putting on a wedding with 36 brides also known as speakers!!

Four years later I am now the Vice President of The Washington Home Care Association and so proud of the hard work we do to ensure safety and better care for seniors and those in need across the state of Washington.

Ours goals are:

Protect seniors by setting high industry best-practice standards

Educate the public about home care benefits, uses, and resources

Advocate in Olympia for our client families and our members

Coordinate with and educate other health care providers regarding home care

Provide connection, support, education, and training opportunities for members and the community

In January I spent the day in Olympia with the Washington Home Care Association for our 2018 In-Home Services Day!

We come together with the Washington State Hospice & Palliative Care Organization and the Home Care Association of Washington, and our lobbyist at our side to talk about the issues surrounding Home Health, Hospice and Home Care with our representatives and senators.

This day always give me

SOMETHING TO HOPE FOR!

All year we collaborate with each of these organizations that provide skilled nursing, health care and support services that allow people to age in place, recover from illness, adapt to disabilities and transitions at the end-of-life. Together we limit the need for institutional care and reduce the overall cost of healthcare by serving patients in their homes. Below are four of the bills that we were educating our representatives and senators about this year.

The House Bill 1300 addresses the underground caregiving world that is completely unregulated. A few of the reasons using a Licensed Home Care Company makes a difference is that Home Care Agencies are Licensed in the State of Washington by the Department of Health and follow the RCW: Revised Code of Washington and WAC: Washington Administrative Code.

Licensed Home Care Companies are SIGNIFICANT in protecting you and your loved ones by providing:

Medicaid Home Health reimbursements are less than half the cost of providing the service. Home health and private-duty nursing reduces preventable hospital readmissions, reduces hospital length of stay, and prevents overall admissions for patients. Low reimbursements impede our ability to reduce rising healthcare costs by decreasing access to care. In 2017 the legislature authorized the Health Care Authority to collect data on home health and private duty nursing thru the fall of 2018. In 2019, we will be back with recommendations and a funding request for increased home health reimbursements.

Support Expansion of Palliative Care and Hospice in Washington State

We support the Dept. of Health and Health Care Authority efforts establishing a funding mechanism for palliative care. Patients with life-threatening chronic illness, who do not meet the 6 months criteria for hospice, deserve team-based palliative care. Hospice currently is underutilized in our state and may increase with the use of palliative care upstream in the health care progression.

We support HB 1300, Enforcing employee status to ensure fairness to employers and employees and address the underground economy,Sponsor: Rep Riccelli (Status-in committee) Some home care aides considered independent contractors are not operating within state employment laws such as paying for L & I and paying associated taxes.

Remodeling Strategies for Aging Homeowners

By Paul Kocharhook, CAPS professional and president of Pathway Design & Construction

There’s no place like home. This is especially true for people who have spent many years in one house – raising families and creating a rich history of memories within its walls and with the surrounding neighborhood. As we age, however, we often face mobility and health issues. What was once a comfortable and safe haven becomes a place of hazards, barriers, and challenges. But moving out of your home into an unfamiliar place to solve the problem doesn’t have to be the answer. The great news is, there are a lot of smart options for remodeling your existing home that can allow you or your loved ones to stay in the same place for years to come.

The concept I’m going to talk about is called Aging in Place (AIP). It means, simply, the ability to live in your own home safely, independently, and comfortably as you age. As a home remodeler, I have helped many clients incorporate the right modifications into their homes to age in place. It is always exciting to see the difference it makes in their lives, allowing them to age gracefully and comfortably in a place they know and love.

At my remodeling company, Pathway, when we work with clients who would like to explore Aging in Place options, we start by enlisting the services of an Occupational Therapist or OT. OTs are licensed health professionals who understand the health and disability issues people face over a lifetime and how to match the abilities of an individual with needed supports. According to the AARP website, an OT may do the following:

Assess an individual’s abilities, challenges and needs (this is often done by asking questions, such as: Do you have medical conditions that impact your daily life? What activities are painful or difficult for you to do?).

Perform a home evaluation and recommend changes to increase safety and ease of use.

Identify furnishings, equipment, and techniques that can help with regular or needed activities.

Suggest and demonstrate techniques that can make essential activities possible and easier.

Developed by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), along with the AARP and others, the Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) training program certifies building industry professionals to apply Aging in Place modifications to home building and remodeling designs.

At Pathway, I am the CAPS professional. In other situations, the remodeler may bring in a CAPS professional from the outside as well as an OT. After the OT does their work, the CAPS applies the information supplied by the OT to propose potential modifications to the home’s layout, features, and fixtures to enhance function and safety. Because budget is also often an issue, the CAPS can recommend a range of options from most to least critical.

Safety is the primary driver behind added AIP modifications. Since more than one-third of all injuries to older adults occur in the bathroom, a lot of attention is paid to modifications to that room. Accessibility is also an important aspect of AIP design. This may involve making room for wheelchairs or walkers, removing barriers to mobility, or making things easier to operate or reach. Modifications can include:

Increased lighting

Accessible light switches at both ends of stairs or hallways

Lever-style door handles that are easy to reach and operate

Additional railings and grab bars

Handheld flexible showerheads

Non-slip/skid flooring for both traction and cushion

Slip-resistant shower and tubs

Curbless (walk-in) showers for easy access

Wider doorways to allow for wheelchairs

Step-free entrance and/or wheelchair ramps

How to Get Started

The first step is getting the OT assessment. To learn more about OTs, visit aota.org. To find an OT in your area, check with your physician, health insurance provider or local hospital. OTs are generally paid a flat fee per visit and their services may be covered by health insurance.

The second step is to find a CAPS professional that can work with a remodeler to land on the modifications that are right for you and your home. To find a CAPS professional in your area, visit the NAHB CAPS directory.

Applying aging in place concepts to a family home is a wonderful idea that can bring great peace of mind. With thoughtful modifications that increase safety, accessibility, and functionality you or your loved ones can enjoy the gift of aging gracefully and comfortably for years to come.

Pathway is a full‑service remodeling company focused on the creation of highly livable and functional spaces through smart design and eco‑friendly, healthy, and energy efficient products and practices. A Pathway remodel is also built to last. Through thoughtful building practices and the use of highly durable products, we help ensure our clients enjoy their remodel for years to come. We specialize in flexible design approaches, such as Better Living Design and Aging in Place that focus on solutions that accommodate a homeowner’s changing needs through all stages of their lives.

November 9, 2017 | Noon – 1:30pm Lynnwood Convention Center

Palliative Care: EvergreenHealth’s Palliative Care consultations are available to all eligible patients, regardless of their insurance coverage or ability to pay. Palliative care is multidisciplinary, and even the broadest insurance coverage rarely includes all of its components.

The U.S. Department of Justice defines elder abuse as including “physical, sexual or psychological abuse, as well as neglect, abandonment, and financial exploitation of an older person by another person or entity, that occurs in any setting (e.g., home, community, or facility), either in a relationship where there is an expectation of trust and/or when an older person is targeted based on age or disability.” (See The Elder Justice Roadmap, source of most of these statistics.)

Any older (or disabled/vulnerable) adult, in any family, may experience elder abuse. Sometimes individuals bear responsibility for the abuse. Sometimes broken or ineffective systems and entities bear responsibility. Even very limited research indicates that:

• One out of every ten people ages 60 and older who live at home suffers abuse, neglect, or exploitation.

• Dementia puts elders at high risk: nearly 50% experience some kind of abuse, and 47% experience mistreatment by caregivers.

Legislatures in all 50 states have passed some form of elder abuse prevention laws. Laws and definitions vary considerably from one state to another, but in general:
• Physical Abuse — inflicting physical pain or injury on a senior, e.g. slapping, bruising, or restraining by physical or chemical means.
• Sexual Abuse — non-consensual sexual contact of any kind.
• Emotional Abuse — inflicting mental pain, anguish, or distress on an elder person through verbal or nonverbal acts, e.g. humiliating, intimidating, or threatening.
• Abandonment— desertion of a vulnerable elder by anyone who has assumed the responsibility for care or custody of that person.
• Neglect— the failure by those responsible to provide food, shelter, health care, or protection for a vulnerable elder.
• Self-neglect— characterized as the failure of a person to perform essential, self-care tasks and that such failure threatens his/her own health or safety.
• Exploitation — the illegal taking, misuse, or concealment of funds, property, or assets of a senior for someone else’s benefit.

But unfortunately, the vast majority of cases go unreported.
For every 1 case of elder abuse that comes to light, another 24 remain hidden.

Why don’t victims report it?
• Dependence: reliance on the abuser/exploiter, that they may be abandoned
• Fear of retaliation: it will get worse if they say anything
• Lack of knowledge: what is abuse, what help there might be, where/how to get help

Cultural factors in abuse reporting
• A person’s culture of origin influences their family dynamics and what is acceptable behavior and treatment of others.
• Culture can also impact whether a person feels able to ask for help outside the family or community.
• Cultural factors and prior experience can also affect how the person trusts or feels comfortable with health care providers or other professionals

* Call local police agency’s non-emergency line or local precinct to make a police report (where the crime occurred).

If you are unsure…

* If you are unsure who to call or how to report, call the DSHS Hotline at 800-562-6078
* If you are unsure whether you need to report, CALL!

* You will never be held liable for making a report you didn’t need to make — but you run the risk of a misdemeanor charge and losing your professional license if you don’t report information that you should!

Caregivers, social workers, and anyone working with the elderly population (see complete list below) . . . did you know by law you are defined as a Mandated Reporter? This means that if you even suspect abuse of a “vulnerable adult” (defined below), that you are required by law to report the crime to either DSHS or law enforcement.

While we may not be able to stop elder abuse from occurring, the law dictates that we are responsible for protecting our elder population from further harm if we are a witness to it, or are aware of it, or if we even suspect it might be happening. We do not have to have evidence or definitive proof of any wrongdoing – but if there are any concerns, we have to report it.

Anyone engaged in a professional capacity during the regular course of employment in encouraging or promoting the health, welfare, support, or education of vulnerable adults, or providing social services to vulnerable adults, whether in an individual capacity or as an employee or agent of any public or private organization or institution.

* Call local police agency’s non-emergency line or local precinct to make a police report (where the crime occurred).

If you are unsure…

* If you are unsure who to call or how to report, call the DSHS Hotline at 800-562-6078
* If you are unsure whether you need to report, CALL!

* You will never be held liable for making a report you didn’t need to make — but you run the risk of a misdemeanor charge and losing your professional license if you don’t report information that you should!